MUDDY MOUNTAIN LITHIUM PROPERTY, NEVADA
Borate and Lithium Potential
Borate minerals are confined to the uppermost Bitter Ridge Limestone Member and lower part of the Lovell Wash, of the Horse Spring Formation. Syndepositional hot spring activity may have played an important role in the localization of mineralization.
Past producing mines nearby include the Anniversary Mine, which produced 180,000 tonnes of 19 to 24% B2O3 until it ceased operation in 1928.
Reconnaissance samples(Bohannon and Leszcykowski, 1982) from the Horse Spring Formation for Lithium, by the USGS, indicate that :
“the Lovell Wash and Bitter Ridge Limestone Members are highly enriched in Lithium.”
Lithium contents of the 182 samples from these units ranged from 78 to 2040 ppm Li, with only 4 samples with less than 200 ppm.
Vine (1980) reviewed US based lithium occurrences and suggested a deposit with 1,000 to 3,000 ppm and thickness of up to 30 ft (9 m) would constitute major resource potential. Given the USGS sampling (Bohannon and Leszcykowski, 1982) state:
“beds having lithium contents greater than 1,000 ppm are abundant in the Lovell Wash and uppermost Bitter Ridge Limestone Members, these units are considered herein as having major Resource Potential.”
